Garment and method of cutting the same



March 11 1924.

D. W. MEL!- GARMENT AND mmnon 0F cmwme THE SAME Filed March 29. 1923 2 sheets-sham 1 March 1, 1924. m-srsma D. W. MELL GARMENT AND METHOD OF CUTTING THE SAME Filed March 29. 19 23 2 Sheets-Shem 2 ensured Mar. 11, 1924.

UNITED "STATES DAISY W. IVIEII'LIL, F ATHENS, GEORGIA.

GARMENT AND METHOD OF CUTTING THE SAME.

Application filed March 29, 1923. Serial No. 628,464.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, DAISY W MnLL, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, re siding at Athens, in the county of Clark and State of Georgia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Garments and Methods of Cutting the Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to garments for infants, and more particularly to infants bands.

An important feature of the invention is comprised in a method of cutting out tubular blank forms for infants bands, in such manner as to economize both in the material used and time consumed. Such method is carried out by making ,a pluralityof cutout portions in the tubular blank in the production of two bands, the shoulder straps of which are formed simultaneously, and are then severed by a single transverse cut, located about midway of the strips of material which are between the cut-out portions of the tube, and serve to form later the shoulder straps of the garment.

Another important feature of the invention is a band of the character referred to, having cut-out portions for the neck and the arm holes which are of the same depth, leaving between said cut-out portions the strips of material to form the shoulder straps. The shoulder straps are arranged to be overlapped one upon the other, at each shoulder, and are provided each with aplurality of fastening devices. Th fastening devices on the shoulder straps are of such construction and arrangement as to permit adjustment of straps on each other, so that the band may be lengthened. or shortened, to fit infants of different sizes.

The overlapping shoulder straps are pro vided with fastening devices which permit so positioning the band on the body of wearer that what were formerly the arm holes become the openings at the front and back of, the neck. and what were formerly theopenings for the front and back of the neck become the arm holes of the garment. The band is provided at its lower edge at diametrically opposite edges with elastic tabs which areused for pinning to the infants garments. as is well known. The capacity formoving the band around the body, andfor fastening the shoulder straps to each other in either of two positions,

permits location of the elastic tabs. either at the sides, or at the front and back of the infant, to provide for different methods of using these bands, at the will of the nurse or mother.

The foregoing, and other important features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating several en1bodiments of the invention, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a tubular blank with the portions cut-out to form openings between the shoulder straps for two bands;

Fig. 2 illustrates a band fastened on the wearer in one position;

Fig. 3 shows the band fastened on the. wearer in another position;

Fig. 4 illustrates the band with the shoulder straps extended to show the fastenings:

Fig. 5 is a similar view, illustrating the band in its other position;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the band with the shoulder straps fastened together in one position; i

Fig. 7 shows the band in elevation, with one pair of straps fastened together and the other pair separated;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of ov,er lapping end portions of a pair of shoulder straps, with a different form of fastening;

Fig. 9 is an edge view of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8. showing still another form of fastening;

Fig. 11 is an edge view of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a plan view illustrating ribbon fastenings for the ends of the straps, and

Fig. 13 is a plan view illustrating still another form of adjustable fastening for the ends of the shoulder straps.

The band to which the present improvements relate comprises a body portion 1, made preferably of knitted material as cotton, wool. or silk, said body portion being provided at its lower edge with two tabs 3. 3, made of elastic material and sewed to the body portion, the projecting parts of the tabs being utilized for pinning the infants clothing to the band in the usual manner.

The shoulder straps for the band are. under the present invention, composed of two pairs (1, Z). and a. 7), projecting upwardlv from the band, each pair of straps. u. 7), being adapted for adjustable. connection with each other in overlapping relation. so that the ends of the straps are doubled over upon each other and secured together by suitable fastenings, such as buttons and buttonholes, snap fasteners, or various forms of ribbon securing devices some of which will be more fully described hereinafter. By reason of the fact that the straps are arranged in separate pairs, and furthermore because of the arrangement of the fastenings employed it is possible to fasten the garment on to an infant in either one of two ways, viz, with the tabs 3, 3, at the sides of the infant as shown in Fig. 3, or with the tabs at the front and back as shown in Fig. 2. It is well known that while some mothers and nurses prefer the older method of arranging the band with these tabs at the front and back, under more modern methods the tabs are sewed on at the sides of the band, but it is desirable to have a band in which the tabs may be arranged either at the front and back, or at the two sides so that it will be optional which of these two arrangements is utilized.

In the band of the present invention the openings at the front and the back and the arm holes, 6 are of the same depth, and the width of the neck openings and of the arm hole openings are the same. \Vhen, therefore, the band is arranged in either of the two positions referred to the appearance of the upper part of the band will not be changed as the same size of opening will appear at the front and back, in each position.

In cutting the material to form this band I have discovered that by employing a tubular piece of knitted fabric 20, as shown in Fig. 1, the same may be folded longitudinally along a line which passes centrally of the tube, and then the openings 22, may be cut out, and also the opening 21, so that two cuts of the scissors will remove the n'iaterial from the tube to form the recesses 22, 22, at the opposite edges, and the opening 21 at the center, respectively, leaving between the recesses and the opening the intermediate strips of material 5. Then by a single cut through dotted line passing transversely through the strips 5, 5, said line located midway between the extemities of the opening 21, two complete bands will be produced each having four strips ofmaterial a, which strips will be located at equi-distant points or about 90apart around the circun'iference of the tube 20.

After the band has been cut out in the manner described, the projecting strips, under -oneform of my invention, are provided with a plurality of spaced button holes, 8, 8, and each alternate strip, 0. is provided with a series of buttons 9. which are ar ranged between the button holes 8, on that strip. From this it will be seen that when the band is arranged on the infant as shown in Fig. 2, the strips 7), a, will be as shown in Fig. 4:, of the drawings, the front strip 7) at the left overlapping and being buttoned upon the rear strip a at the left,while the rear strip Z), at the back on the right hand side overlaps and is buttoned upon the front strip a, at the right: on the other hand, if the band is adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 3,

where the tabs 3, 3, are located at the sides, the strips will occupy the positions shown in Fig. 5. In such positions the strip a at the left front will be overlapped'by the strip 6 at the left back and buttoned thereto, while the strip a at the right back will be overlapped by the strip 6 at the right front, with the latter strip but-toned to the former.

The series of buttons and button holes 8, 9, permit adjustment of strips so as to provide different lengths of the garment, such adjustment being made by engagement of different button holes with the buttons to cause a greater or less overlapping of the strips with the consequent lengthening or shortening of the. total distance from the shoulder straps to the lower edge of the band. This is an important feature, as it will provide for the shrinking of the band or the growth of the infant and by such adjustment a band may be made to last very much longer than band where no such adjustment is possible.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, instead of employing buttons and button holes to adjustably secure together the ends of the strips, a series of button holes as :22 in each strip, may be engaged by a ribbon 23 which is passed through any number of the button holes in overlapping strips to adjustably secure the strips under the shoulders, the ribbon being tied in a suitable bow to hold the strips together. Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a pair of overlapping strips to constitute a shoulder strap, with their ends fastened together with capacity for adjustment by a'plurality of snap fasteners 24. which provide a very satisfactory form of fastening for the shoulder strap elements.

Fig. 12 illustrates a pair strips, a, b, with their adjacent ends held together ad'j ustably by two ribbons which are passed through openings near the ends of strips and are tied into bows 27, which may be drawn together more or less to adjustably secure the ends of the strips.

Fig. 13 illustrates the ends of two adjacent strips (L, b, in overlapping relation and provided with button holes 28, '28, arranged in pairs and fastened together by a ribbon as 29. These ends may be adjustably secured together by the ribbon when the ends of the strips are slid upon each otherso as to cause any desired pair of the button holes in one strip to align with a pair of button holes in the other strip, the strips being tied together by the ribbon 29.

Many other forms of adjustable fastening than those herein described may be obviously employed for securing together the pairs of strips constituting the shoulder straps, and the right is reserved to employ any suitable fastening means for this purpose, which is contemplated by the following claims:

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The method of cutting a garment from tubular material, which consists in folding the tube longitudinally along a line located midway between its side edges, removing a portion of the material along said line to form an opening at the center of the tube for a distance on either side of the folding line sufficient to form shoulder straps, cutting out or removing the material from the edges of the tube on both sides of said opening to form two recesses, one at each edge, whose combined width is equal to the width of the central opening, the length of said recesses and of said central opening being the same, and severing the tube by a transverse cut located midway of the ends of said recesses and central opening, to produce two garments each provided with four upwardly extending strips, which strips are located equi-distant from each other 2. A body garment for infants, having at its lower edge two projecting tabs located at opposite points, and at its upper edge provided with arm holes, and front and back neck openings of the same depth as the depth of the arm holes, said arm holes and said openings being separated by strips which are ad: ted to be overlapped in pairs and fastenec together to form shoulder straps, and fastening means on said straps, such fastening means arranged so that front and back strips on either side of the central opening may be fastened together, or two front strips and two back strips may be fastened together to permit the garment to be arranged on the wearer with the tabs at front and back, or with the tabs at the two sides.

3. A garment for infants having a body portion with two tabs projecting from its lower edge on opposite sides, said garment having at its upper portion four projecting strips located at equi-distant points around the garment, said strips formed by openings which extend inwardly equal distances from the outer extremities of the strips, all of said strips being provided with a plurality of button holes, and every alternate strip having buttons which are arranged alternately with the button holes on said strips, said strips being adapted to be fastened together in pairs in overlapping relation to form shoulder straps, and said strips being arranged furthermore so that what formerly constituted two front strips may be fastened together to form a side strap, and what formerly constituted two back strips may be fastened together to constitute the other shoulder strap, whereby the garment may be arranged with the tabs at front and back, or at the two sides of the infant.

4. A garment comprising a tubular body portion having tabs on opposite sides of its lower edge, and four separated strips at its upper extremity adapted to be fastened together detachably, in pairs to form shoulder straps, the positions of the strips being changeable with reference to each other so as to vary the positions of the shoulder straps and therby so position the garment that the tabs will be located at the two sides. or at the front and back of the wearer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of March A. D. 1923.

DAISY W. MELL. 

